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From what I read, I think you can't change premiums for up to 30 to prevent people from changing once a week, but my question is, does that apply to programming packages themselves? For instance, can I go to from Choice to Entertainment and then a week later switch back to Choice?

I am trying to save some bucks and want to see if I can stand the lower package.

I'd wait for someone else to verify, but I used to do that with HBO all the time (would activate for one weekend, then cancel), but it's been a couple of years.

edit: I just found out they changed the policy a couple of years ago and you were right, you now must keep Premiums at least 30 days. I would think the case would be the same for packages just for the reason you asked.

5 (Your Cancellation (excerpt) If you cancel Service or change your Service package, you may be subject to an early cancellation fee if you agreed to a programming agreement with DIRECTV and have failed to maintain the required programming package for the required period of time.

5 ( Your Cancellation (excerpt) If you cancel Service or change your Service package, you may be subject to an early cancellation fee if you agreed to a programming agreement with DIRECTV and have failed to maintain the required programming package for the required period of time.

Thank you for finding this info. Okay ,so they may charge me up to $10 but they may not?

You can change your base package once per day. I have never been charged that 10.00 fee as mentioned in the Agreement. Obviously, if you abuse that provision, you just might incurr the fee, and deservedly so.

You can change your base package as many times as you want, as often as you want, with no additional fee charged outside of the partial charges/credits. Premiums are different. Premiums must be kept at least 30 days. Cancelling them inside of 30 days can be done, but a one time 10$ fee is charged to do so. Note, with Premiere the 10$ fee applies because it has the premium stations in it. Anything below Premiere, there is no fee.
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So to answer you question, yes, you could switch to a higher base package for a TV show, then call back and switch back down afterwards. The only other thing with base packages is if it's an expired package (Plus DVR, Choice Extra Classic, etc), you have 30 days to go back to that particular package, after 30 days, you have to go to a current package.

Premiums are different. Premiums must be kept at least 30 days. Cancelling them inside of 30 days can be done, but a one time 10$ fee is charged to do so.

Kind of...you can switch and equal # of premium services w/o the fee, but the 30 day clock restarts.

That is I could add HBO/CMX and 10 days later change to STZ/SHO without incurring a fee. I would then have to keep STZ/SHO for 30 days from that point or switch to another combination of 2 premiums, to avoid a fee.

Kind of...you can switch and equal # of premium services w/o the fee, but the 30 day clock restarts.

That is I could add HBO/CMX and 10 days later change to STZ/SHO without incurring a fee. I would then have to keep STZ/SHO for 30 days from that point or switch to another combination of 2 premiums, to avoid a fee.

Correcto. To madison, that would be perfectly fine if you want to do that for badgers games. All you would see is a partial charge for the package your going to, and partial credit for the package your going from each time you do so.

My idea was to drop to entertainment from choice and then switch back for the occasional badgers' game on the big ten network.

This is just speculation but I feel that you are asking for a billing headache that you would soon regret that you did. All the credits and extra billing that are supposed to happen as others are stating would almost for certain get out of whack and cost you more than you thought and possibly spend hours on the phone trying to straighten it out.

This is just speculation but I feel that you are asking for a billing headache that you would soon regret that you did. All the credits and extra billing that are supposed to happen as others are stating would almost for certain get out of whack and cost you more than you thought and possibly spend hours on the phone trying to straighten it out.

I have two Choice credits on my bill each month and I don't want to lose those. So you're saying those would go away if I pulled the occasional switcheroo?